Dark Moon Rising
by RedStreak
Summary: The progeny of Unicron himself, Omegracon, makes his presence known as the Maximals begin a quest in tandom with Autobot Springer.
1. Dark Moon Rising: Part 1

**Dark Moon Rising: Part 1**

by Bill T. Taylor - a.k.a. RedStreak

In one moment, the ancient and legendary city of the Autobots was wiped from the face of the Earth. In that one moment, a fortress that withstood the attacks of Megatron and the siege of Galvatron was destroyed. In that singular moment, the last of the transformers defending Earth were all obliterated....

Actually...nearly all. After the plasma blast dissolved into thin air, a lone Autobot emerged from the ruins of Autobot City. Springer groaned as he got up, his armor burnt and servos jammed. Quite frankly, he was lucky to be alive, let alone functional.

Springer gazed across what was once a virtually pristine landscape, seeing what resembled an atomic disaster. Everything, including the very last blade of grass, had been burned away. There was nothing alive, well...any native life at least.

There were a few other Autobots strewn about like toys. Some were moving, functional like Springer. On the other hand....there were those that didn't....

Springer turned his optics away from those fried shells and towards the living transformers. Then he heard a moan. Turing behind him he saw a scattered pile of shrapnel moving. A panel lifted up, revealing an Autobot, one in particularly bad shape.

"Hang on, fellow!" Springer yelled to him, dashing over to his fallen comrade. His knees clunked loudly, gears chewing themselves up under the stress. Springer ignored the pain, figuring it could be repaired after he rescued the others.

Lifting off a panel, Springer jumped back in shock at the sight of a blackened body. It was Golden Bug! His body, once glittering a stately gold, the envy of even the most handsome transformer, had been tainted by black ash. Golden Bug looked up to Springer, his optics dark and empty.

"You're blind!" Springer gasped, "Come on! We've gotta get you repaired before that giant tin ball blasts another...."

"No Springer," Golden Bug managed to say, "I'm done for." His voice was raspy, sparks constantly being coughed up. Springer said it wasn't true, but it was inevitable. Golden Bug was unrepairable...even beyond the skills of a Quinetossen. His spark would be off-line in half a megacycle, if not sooner.

Something pounded from inside of Golden Bug's chest. Springer reached down and used the broad side of his hand to clean the ash from the windows. He saw a human hand thud against the window, a face peering out at him.

The dying Autobot had sacrificed himself to save one of the inhabitants of Earth. Golden Bug couldn't of done anything more noble than that. "Save him. Make sure....he lives on. He's...the last son of the diplomat...." Golden Bug told Springer. After that, Golden Bug gave up his last breath, his head turning away.

Springer shuddered as he laid before Golden Bug, weakened by the sight of another of the great Optimus Prime's followers passing. There were so few Autobots left already, and surely this disaster had taken the last of their line away. Springer felt that he might of been the last of his line...the last of the old Autobots.

"Help me!" a muffled voice cried to him. Springer looked down and saw the human looking up to him. _The last son of the diplomat_, Springer remembered Golden Bug's words, _The last in the line of Spike and Daniel._ Springer reached down, pausing for a minute before tearing Golden Bug's chest plate apart. He then took the young human into his arms and marched off.

"Come on now. We've got to leave this place..." Springer whispered to the human teen.

The new Prime on Cybertron met with his old allies in the Council Citadel two solar cycles after the visions started. Cheetarus Prime, Botanica, and the rest of Primal's comrades came together, as well as the new additions: RedStreak and ThunderClaw.

RedStreak stood at Cheetarus' side as always, his crimson fur contrasting the blue-green technorganic metal of his robot mode. ThunderClaw rested above in the rafters, content to remain in his panther beast mode. He watched the meeting below him as the other elders gathered together.

Cheetarus assumed his position at the head of the Council of Elders. One of the four elders to his right picked up a malet and cracked it against the table. "Let this Council of the Maximal Elders come to order." he said the opening statement.

The new Prime stated the nature of the council. "Fellow transformers, ever since the Great Reformatting twenty-nine stellar cycles ago, we vowed to work as a united Cybertron to ensure its future remains bright, and that the horrors of Megatron are never repeated."

Rattrap listened to Cheetarus Prime recite the grand history of Cybertron, from the Great War to the Techno-Organic War, down to this very day. In the twenty-nine cycles since the last war, Cheetarus had become quite the speaker, developing his leadership skills as he became a fully mature adult, a truly charismatic transformer.

"Heh. Talk about embellishing the role of Prime." Rattrap quietly told Botanica, who smiled at him.

"He's a Prime. Primes always have a reputation of long speeches." she said.

Cheetarus turned the floor over to Botanica, who stepped up to the council. The lights dimmed, save for the spot Botnica stood upon. She waited a moment for all eyes to be upon her, gathering her thoughts together.

"Maximals," she began, "I....have received a vision....from the Oracle itself...."

"Impossible!" one elder blurted out. Botanica turned to see one of the eight old elders rise up from his seat in defiance. "The Oracle's been dead for nearly thirty stellar cycles!"

"Not dead! Merely....dormant." said Botanica.

"Then why did your investigation into the Oracle's power grid show nothing?"

Botanica was speechless for a moment, unable to explain. In response, she said to all the elders in general, "The Oracle has yet to be explained. We know little about it, even after so much time. It is not merely part of Vector Sigma....but an extension, a link to the Matrix itself!"

The elders all spoke up in a jumble, but Cheetarus rose up and swayed for them to be still. He allowed Botanica to continue, to explain what she saw, and how she interpreted it. For a moment all listened, but after she finished none of them believed her. None, not even her comrades Rattrap, Silverbolt, and Blackarachnia took her seriously.

They have no connection with the Oracle. They can't understand what I try to say, Botanica thought. After all, what transformer would believe that Unicron himself had returned after the power of the Matrix vanquished him?

A pain swiftly struck Botanica in her abdomen, one that was sharp and agonizing. The entire council leaped down when she toppled over, ThunderClaw himself hopping down. "Botanica!" Cheetarus said. When she looked up, they saw a brilliant white light eminating from her eyes.

Botanica....Botanica....

The Oracle was calling her again, dragging her very spirit from the physical world into the Matrix. She saw sparks, millions of spark fluttering around her, all speaking her name. "What is it? What do you want?" she asked them.

She was drifting above Cybertron, in space like her previous vision. As one of the moons swept by, a tiny point of light appeared from the stars. All the sparks converged on that point, including Botanica's very own. Then she felt a strange power, the prescence of a strong spark. It was the spark of an ancient transformer....and it was coming to Cybertron....

When Botanica awoke, she found a swarm of eyes upon her. She was scared at first, feeling a dozen hands pulling her back up. Rattrap grabbed her by the waist and asked what was wrong.

"A spark!" she exclaimed, "An old spark is returning! Someone is coming to Cybertron!"

"What in the galaxy are you talk'n about?" ThunderClaw growled, approaching her on all fours.

Before anyone else could say a word, klaxons began to wail all over the Citadel. Red lights went off, casting an eerie glow over the chambers. Panels in the floors opened, tehnorganic consoles sprouting out from below. Snowy computer screens came online with controls unfolding like leaves from them.

The main holoprojector activated automatically. "Alert, unregistered object approaching." the computer spoke. A three-dimentional hologram appeared of Cybertron and a single moon. A flashing red dimond appeared, apparently headed straight for the planet.

"What is that?" Blackarachnia shouted, pointing to the hologram.

"Processing request..." the computer acknowledged, obeying the spider's implied statement. It zoomed in upon the diamond icon, revealing it to be a winged spacecraft. "Object identified as Cybertronian shuttle; class unknown. Targeting...."

"No! Wait!" Botanica cried, "The spark! I'm sure it's there!"

RedStreak ran to a console and tried to access the central computer. "The orbital platforms are coming alive! They're targeting the ship! I-I can't stop it!" he shouted.

Cheetarus stood there in a frozen state. A billion thoughts crossed through his mind. The planetary defenses weren't properly reprogrammed yet - most were still following Megatron's ancient commands. They would destroy the shuttle before they even had a chance to contact it!

"Prime! Do something!" ThunderClaw bellowed to his leader.

He snapped out of it. "Computer, emergency transmitter," Cheetarus Prime commanded, "Voice code: Optimal. Transmit auto-destruct sequence to all orbital platforms, stat!"

Amid the chaos in the room, the computer said with a calm, soothing voice, "Acknowledged."

In high orbit, the shuttle was coming in at a steep angle. Once it crossed the threshold of the innermost Cybertronian moon, tens of defense weapons started firing. The shuttle was unable to maneuver well, the blasts hitting with blinding speed. Before the pilot could throw up an energy shield, a final blast knocked down the starboard thrusters, causing the ship to lose stability.

The self-destruct command reached the platforms in millicycles. All at once, half-a-dozen exploded in yellow balls of fire. This aided the incoming vessel little, for more than half of the platforms remained functional, all still targeting the ship with powerful weapons.

The ship entered the atmosphere of Cybertron fast, and were it not for the shield it would of been torn to bits and vaporized. The sudden shockwave overloaded and completely blew out the shield generators, sending a power surge through the ship. With shields down, the vessel turned white-hot as it sped downwards.

Cheetarus had little time to think. The holoprojector displayed the shuttle's trajectory over Cybertron, calculating the landing zone to within a few square meters. "Unidentified shuttle will be landing over grid Omicron-9 in twelve point eight millicycles. Forty percent chance of survival...." the computer coldly stated.

"Everone! Prepare for casualties!" Cheetarus Prime yelled. Turning to RedStreak he ordered, "RedStreak! Fly out there as fast as you can! Try to save the shuttle!"

"Will do Prime!" RedStreak raised his hand and saluted. He jumped into the air and transformed to vehicle mode, helicopter blades rising out of his shoulders and spinning at maximum rpm. His fox tail still swung behind him as he soared upward toward a vent in the ceiling. He navigated the dark tubes until he reached an exhaust port where he met clear, blue sky.

RedStreak was able to get to grid Omicron in ten millicycles, sparing him just enough time to scan for energy signatures. He searched through the entire spectrum, but found nothing. "Time for a different tactic," concluded RedStreak, "Computer, scan for positronic signatures matching transformer spark frequency..."

Before a nano-click went by, his internal systems blurted out, "Transformer spark located. Matches Maximal-Autobot signature. Currently closing on grid Omicron."

The Maximal flew high above the landscape, still trying to find the spark. Finally, the shuttle came into visual range, and it was falling fast. RedStreak tried to catch up with it, but it was impossible. The shuttle was zooming faster than greased lightning, spinning uncontrolably.

An instant before the shuttle crashed, RedStreak swore he saw something fly out of the ship. The explosion was huge, powerful enough to send even RedStreak spiralling away. That still didn't stop him.

After regaining attitude-control, the Maximal flew into the burning plume rising from the crater. Even in infared he couldn't peer past the ash drifting upwards. His sensors were still set for spark-tracking though, and a millicycle later he relocated the spark.

RedStreak found it in a heavily forested area; a single, large transformer had plowed his way through, lying amid broken branches while stuck in a vehicular form not unlike his own. He transformed into his vulpine beast mode and crept up to the large machine. Then, RedStreak found on the scratched, emerald armor, an Autobot emblem.

Clicking on a com-link attached to his right paw, RedStreak called in, "RedStreak to Prime. The shuttle crashed, but there is a survivor: an Autobot."

Within ten millicycles, a whole fleet of Maximals, all under general Silverbolt's direction, flew the unconscious Autobot out of the technorganic forest and back to New Cybertropolis. Black Arachnia, Botanica, and Rattrap directed the construction of a gigantic regeneration chamber for the Autobot's repair.

Cheetarus Prime and all the Maximals waited outside the large chamber for the Autobot to be awakened. It took two and a half entire megacycles to restore the old transformer. The mechanical arms withdrew from the chamber as the restoration fluids were drained. Minutes later, the platform raised the Autobot up, revealing him in luminescent silver and green.

A low moan came out of the helicopter transformer's body. The Maximals around him awaited for him to transform, but first he opened his cockpit chamber. Vapor billowed out, revealing a small control chamber. Inside was a command harness, with a Maximal-sized being resting inside.

"Help....him....out...." the Autobot said in a slow, electronic voice. Immediately ThunderPaw and Silverbolt came to his side, unbuckling the harness from the limp body. Removing him from the Autobot, they brought him over to Cheetarus' feet. The helmet over the alien's head popped off, rolling off the platform.

Silverbolt's yellow eyes widened. "By the Matrix," he declared, "He's....human...."

The human, adorned in a primitive space suit, laid unconscious. A mangled mane of brown-red hair grew from his head. Cheetarus knelt down and felt around his neck, noticing an odd pulsation beneath the skin. It startled him at first, being not used to feeling the flow of blood through a living creature. He was probably the first transformer to feel the beating of a human heart.

"He's alive....I think. Better find a way to help him." Cheetarus recomended.

Botanica lifted up the human over her shoulder with all four sets of her arms. "I think it will be best for me to tend to him," she said, "I have...some familiarity with organic physiology."

"But what about the honk'n Autobot here?" Rattrap said, jutting a thumb out towards the large Cybertronian helicopter.

The platform shook. The words, "Autobot, transform!" thundered from behind the rodent. All the Maximals turned around and were in awe at the sight of one of their ancestors transforming. Each and every one of the Autobot's components glittered as they shifted, forming arms and legs and a head crowning the whole body. They gazed upward at the mighty Autobot, his prominent red marking shimmering brilliantly.

This titan of old Cybertron stooped down towards Rattrap, his blue optics glowing brightly. With a stern face the Autobot said to the small Maximal, "It's a bit rude to refer to a guy in the third person, shrimp."

"Hey!" Rattrap boldly wheeled his way up to him, engines reving. "You can't tell a rat from an overpriced crusteacean? Sheesh! You Autobots are _really _out a' date...."

"Ahem...." Looking behind, Cheetarus Prime was at Rattrap's back, looking down at him bitterly. He implied for the rodent to shut his trap and leave the Autobot. Rattrap gave the Autobot one last look, then drove off, mumbling something about constantly being "looked down upon."

Cheetarus returned his attention to the Autobot. "It is good to see that old Autobot line is still around. I'm Cheetarus Prime....the....curent leader of the Council of Maximal Elders. I hope the trip wasn't too ruff."

"No, I'm fine. And its good to see the Maximals are still managing their roles as the overseers of Cybertron." the Autobot smiled. The transformer stretched his arms, then looked around. He couldn't help but notice the technorganic coloration of the walls, the various plants mixed in with cables and wires. "Though....I have a feeling something's changed."

"You're right. Much has changed on Cybertron," Cheetarus Prime said, "Apparently, Rattrap wasn't altogether wrong about you....being a bit out of date...."

Across the vast galactic distance separating Cybertron from Earth, the new progeny of Unicron orbited the blue Earth after successfully destroying Autobot City. For days he simply floated alongside this world, scanning it, assessing its resources, making plans....

I need to make my strikes accurate and surgical, if I'm to utilize this world's resources fully, thought Omegracon. Unlike the great Unicron, he did not have vast stores of energon within his core to fall back on. Were he to blatantly annihilate this planet, Omegracon would deplete what little he had.

However, I still have one other option that'll be most useful....

Deep within the transmetal mantle of Omegracon lay a specialized chamber, a prison he created. In it, he held captive two dead transformers, two Vehicons he just happened to have run across. A beam of green light focused upon them, restoring their sparks and robotic shells.

It is time to awaken these two, and put them to use....

Strika and Obsidian awoke in a vast chamber lined with twisted spikes and cylinders. The walls were a deep blue with sparkles of electrons running through them. The two Vehicons stood up and looked around, uncertain as to where they were.

"Obsidian?" Strika addressed her consort, "You're...._alive_?"

He nodded. "We are....apparently. But what worries me is how we got here. The last thing I remember is that Maximal firing us into deep space and then...."

Suddenly the floor started to rumble. The walls came alive, shifting into weird new forms. Everything twisted and turned in this giant chasm, taking new forms and shapes. Panels slanted on the walls, changing....no...._transforming_....into a large face embedded in the wall.

The eyes opened, and beams of energy shot out at the two Vehicons. Strika and Obsidian struggeled, but they were lifted hundreds of meters into the air like puppets on strings. As the energy beams grew stronger, they soon found that they couldn't move. They were turned about towards the giant face by unknown hands.

Strika's eyes widened. "What...are you?"

The giant face's eyes narrowed. "Something....you will never fully comprehend. I am a being beyond anything you've ever known, with unlimited powers and knowledge that reaches beyond the galaxy's edge. All that you need to know is that I've restored you for one very distinct purpose."

The Vehicons exchanged glances then looked at the face once again. "And....that would be?" asked Obsidian.

The face spoke three words to them. "To....serve...._ME_."

Strika laughed. "Ha! We already have a master: Megatron! We will never betray him, not even to a monster like....AHHH!"

Both Vehicons were overwhelmed with searing pain rushing through their bodies. The energy beams turned from green to blood red, giving the room an ominous glow. The face just stared at them apathetically from its fixed position on the wall.

"AGH! WHAT....ARE YOU DOING?!" cried out Obsidian.

With a booming voice that echoed, Omegracon replied, "Decompiling your bodies. Since you refuse to serve me, I will destroy your useless shells and feed upon your sparks." As Obsidian and Strika writhed in pain, he further added, "I will not tolerate such waste and uselessness in my presence...."

"WAIT!" Strika cried out. Obsidian turned to her with wide eyes, unable to believe that she'd betray their allegiance to Megatron. "WE WILL SERVE YOU....BUT WE MUST UNDERSTAND....FOR WHAT PURPOSE?! TO WHAT END?!"

The energy beams turned green again, the pain halting. A grin actually began to form on Omegracon's face. "Ah....my premonitions about your desires to....serve an ultimate purpose were correct. To be part of something greater....that is all the both of you wish for, is it not?"

Obsidian boldly shouted, "We won't betray Megatron! Never!" Turning to Strika, he whispered, "How can you do this? How can you wish to serve a monster like this? Your loyalty...."

"Obsidian," Strika interrupted, "We have little choice. This...._creature_....is clearly the very spawn of Unicron with unlimited power. If all he wants is for a few tasks to be done, then it is logical to do them for our _own _survival!"

Obsidian snarled at her, unable to believe she'd stoop this low. Then, after gazing into her eyes, he sighed. Turning to Omegracon, Obsidian said, "Very well. We _will_ serve you, _but _we _won't _betray Megatron, no matter the circumstance...."

The floor began to transform beneath them. It turned into liquid metal, surging back and forth by unseen tides. Out of this small sea a sphere emerged, floating up to them by Omegracon's very will. Strika and Obsidian gazed at the sphere, watching maps form on it, islands and continents taking shape.

"This planet," Omegracon began to explain, "Is vital to my purposes. I have scanned and analyzed every part of it; everything I need to know about it _I _know. All I require from you two is to take it for me. _That _shall be the first task of four I require of you...."

"The first?" Strika asked, curious as to what he meant, "Do you imply that you want us to do...."

"_DO NOT QUESTION MY ORDERS OR DESIRES!_" Omegracon bellowed. Obsidian and Strika were flung backwards as if by a cyclone, hurled into a wall. The undulating sea of metal below rose up, solidifying into a new wall with a new face emerging. "I have already made all the preperations necissary for you. Go now, and conquer this planet."

The two Vehicon generals were directed upwards to the surface, passing millions of conduits and chambers. Looking down, they saw emerging like hornets from a hive countless swarms of machines, drones virtually identical to the ones they used in the Techno-Organic War. Obsidian and Strika smiled, enjoying the feel of power once again.

Omegracon guided them to a platform he constructed for them on his surface. Strika and Obsidian were dropped onto it. "This....shall be your command carrier. Through this shall you command my minions, and none of the native-made weapons shall harm you." said Omegracon.

Strika looked down at the flat hunk of metal she stood upon. "What? This piece of sheet metal? Please tell me you're kidding."

As if on cue, dozens of spires rose up around her and Obsidian. The very metal surrounding the platform shifted and transformed it into a huge spacecraft, one ten times the size of Megatron's flying fortress, with the Vehicons riding at the head of it.

The massive carrier, adorned in dark transmetal armor, rose up from the body of Omegracon. Now the Vehicons had at their disposal the means to conquer a world. Tactical data was given to them through screens, all displaying not only Earth's geography, but the locations of missile silos, ship yards, air and space ports, and the central command center of every major Earth faction.

"This won't even be a challenge," chuckled Obsidian, "Their weapons are primitive, even by _ancient _Cybertronian standards. No space defense systems, no energy fields...."

"And most of all, no one united force to oppose us." Strika pointed out.

Obsidian gloated, "The supreme advantage of attacking a species as primitive as the human. They're already divided amongst themselves..."

"And all we need to do is conquer," Strika grinned, "Maybe there will be a little fun to this after all....ha, ha!"

Their command carrier moved out with a swarm of roughly a billion drones following behind. On Earth, satellites in orbit detected the movement coming from the direction of Omegracon and alerted the leaders of factions like China, the Pacific Commonwealth, and the United States of North America. Each and every nation called upon their nuclear arsenals and aerial forces, summoning up every ounce of military strength humanity could throw at the oncoming menace.

Strika and Obsidian saw the missiles coming straight at them, just as they anticipated. "Long-range offensive attacks....just like the revolt of Dramadon." Obsidian quoted. With a wave of the Vehicon's hand, a wave of drones flung themselves at the ballistic missiles, destroying or detonating them before they came within a hundred kilometers of the carrier.

But then, out of the blue one missile came flying directly at them. "Obsidian! Launcher with fusion devices coming from Beta vector!" Strika yelled. The rocket was coming too fast, the drones preoccupied or too far to intercept. Its cone opened up, deploying half a dozen fusion bombs.

A giant explosion occurred, the surrounding swarms of drones either vaporizing or blown away. Omegracron watched the dust clear from the blast and noted the human tactics. _Perhaps I underestimated these creatures, _he considered for a minute. Then, when the command carrier reemerged, he changed his position. _Or not...._

Inside, Obsidian and Strika were shaken up, but they survived without a single fried circuit board. "Omegracon designed this vessel well. This special plating....it absorbed the blast. Amazing material. What did he call it again?" Strika asked Obsidian.

"I believe it was...._trans-metal_, if I'm not mistaken." he answered.

Within seconds the pair of them recalibrated the weapons and collected together the surviving drones. The human weapons took a great number of their forces out, but Obsidian counted about eighty million still remaining. It would be sufficient to eliminate an entire continent's contingent of air forces at least.

The Vehicons' first target was one modest sized continent, one roughly in the shape of a Y. According to their strategic data, it possessed most of the missile silos, plus a full two-thirds of the opposing armed forces on this world. Once they penetrated the upper atmosphere, at least a hundred forms of aircraft came at them with lasers, machine guns, and short-range missiles. None of them penetrated the transmetal armor, and none of them survived.

In all, it took Obsidian and Strika twenty millicycles to obliterate all forces as well as a thousand settlements. "This is a new record Strika," declared Obsidian, "A quarter of a planet in half a megacycle...."

"Yes, a new one for certain....but let's see if we can take the _entire _planet in one megacycle."

They moved eastward, following the rising Sun. More and more Earth cities fell, hundreds dying and millions more fleeing from them. Every military vehicle was taken out, whole armies vanishing in minutes. Without the aid of the Autobots, no human army was able to stand against Omegracon's forces. North America fell first, quickly followed by Europe, North Africa, South Asia, and Australia. It would take a while longer to take out the stragglers and rogue nation-states, but now Obsidian and Strika had the whole planet in their grip.

By the end of their first solar cycle of service under Omegracon, the Vehicons had depleted ninety-eight percent of their energon resources - a small price to pay for enslaving ten billion people. Their master soon summoned them to return and refuel.

En route to Omegracon, Strika and Obsidian began to wonder. "We have an entire planet to ourselves now. Plus an army and ship at our disposal. Perhaps its time we....reinstate our allegiance to Megatron." suggested Obsidian.

"I would agree. Out original master would give his spark for resources such as these. Of course, the organic he'd need to eliminate....but we would have plenty of time for that."

Unknown to them, Omegracon was watching them constantly. Through the command carrier's sensors he observed their progress and overheard their plans for betrayal. However, he anticipated such a move....

I remember well Unicron's enslavement of Galvatron. Through that Decepticon, the Autobot Matrix was able to destroy him. Omegracon realized what Unicron had done wrong. _He enslaved Galvatron....but his only mistake was to give him free will. The minds of these two are invaluable, but I can not repeat Unicron's mistake...._

Half a megacycle later, Obsidian and Strika were back within Omegracon, pretending to be eager to serve under his "divine leadership". In his name, the Vehicons requested to stockpile on energon to ensure Earth would be permenantly theirs.

As Obsidian and Strika stood in his prison chamber, pretending to be loyal subjects, Omegracon made plans. "I am pleased at your work. But known this....your first task was merely a test of your skills. While I undergo the transformation of this world into an operational base, the two of you must undergo your second task."

Around Obsidian and Strika's platform, the floor slowly began to unfold, revealing an underlying vat of undulating goo. Inch by inch, the cold goo started to rise while the Vehicons remained fixated upon the face of Omegracon.

"And...what is this second task?" asked Obsidian.

"The pair of you must journey to the edge of your home system....to retrieve an ancient device, one you'd refer to as _the matrix_." said Omegracon, "The same device that destroyed Unicron....my father...."

"What?! The matrix? Unicron?" Obsidian bumbled, "They're myths!"

"You're a fool to believe such lies...." Omegracon said, "For at one time, _I _was Unicron....and I know of such things."

The goo climbed up to the platform, now level with Strika and Obsidian's feet. Before the two Vehicons could notice, tendrils shot out, pulling them both down into the muck. As the two Vehicons started to wail and holler, feeling their very essences being dissolved, Omegracon spoke down to them.

"I knew what you were planning....I knew you both planned to betray, just as Galvatron betrayed Unicron. But I shall not make the same mistake...."

Obsidian watched as Strika sunk below the goo, trying to reach out to him. He stretched himself as far as he could, but her fingers slipped from him. Obsidian fired up his rotors and pulled himself up, the goo bonds snapping from his body. He fired a volley of fire at Omegracon's face, causing it to shatter like glass.

"You won't destroy us, Unicron!" Obsidian hollered.

Before his very eyes, the shattered fragments reformed, the face staring back at him once more. Below him, the gelatinous fluid rose up to engulf him like an amoeba. Obsidian flew up, darting each and every lash the goo made at him.

"Known this, Obsidian: I was once Unicron....but in the past four centuries I have become something more...." Omegracon said as Obsidian continued to avoid his tendrils.

Finally, one caught Obsidian, sending him into the void below. The Vehicon watched his body submerge, filling with fluid that ate away at him. In his final moments, he heard Omegracon say to him, "I am no longer Unicron, but _Omegracon_. I retain his knowledge and power, but I will be the one to avenge him....bringing to both this world and yours the tranquility of chaos. And _you _shall become a tool for me to complete my father's revenge....and to fullfil my destiny as his successor...."

Obsidian was swallowed by the dark ink, joining Strika. For a moment, all was calm, but the fluid slowly began to bubble. "I, Omegracon, shall not destroy you, Strika and Obsidian, but _reforge _you, just as Unicron reforged Megatron."

The fluid started to glow a deep red, becoming boiling hot. Two shadowy forms began to appear from below. "You shall be my living weapons, striking down all that may oppose me...."

The fluid became white-hot in seconds, melting down Strika and Obsidian's bodies. Deep inside Omegracon they changed, becoming something of his design. "You shall be my generals, to conquer all I shall consume...."

Cables jutted out from the walls, armed with grasping claws. They dove into the molten metal, reaching into the Vehicons' remains. In an instant, the cables snapped back, dragging back with them a pair of sparks that crackled. "You shall be my messengers, to herald my arrival..."

The two Vehicons reemerged, lightning crackling from their new bodies. The new transformers retained the vehicle modes of their previous lives, but now were twice as powerful and ten-fold as strong. Obsidian floated on rockets, his rotors turned into blades. Strika's wheels were now mounted on her arms, missiles and plasma blasters jutting out of her body like spikes.

Omegracron looked down upon his creations, proud of himself. They still possessed their individual minds, their memories and desires, but were stripped of their free will. As for their sparks....

The two pulsating lights were presented before Omegracron's face. Violet tractor beams locked onto them. The sparks resisted, the free will of Sprika and Obsidian crying out. Their sparks weren't strong enough, and were sucked into Omegracron's eyes. Now these two were his, now and forever.

"Now, my warriors, go...and retrieve the matrix. Do my bidding...." commanded Omegracon.

The two reforged minions bowed, chanting, "We live to do thy bidding, Omegracon. We shall do what thoust has commanded."

Obsidian and Strika - or whatever that was left of them - flew off in the command carrier, taking with them another billion drones. While they flew off into the distance, Omegracon focused on the Earth.

Now it is time to tap this world's power....

From his stationary orbit, the spawn of Unicron sprouted a giant anchor from his body. Then he launched it at the Earth, a giant harpoon as large as an asteroid heading for one of its oceans. It took less than a second for it to plunge into the atmosphere and into the salty water.

On the surface, millions on either side of the Atlantic saw something shoot down from the sky and crash with thunder. A blast of air shuddered through the skies, knocking down all planes and blasting clouds away. Earthquakes rocked the entire planet from Brazil to Australia to Egypt. Soon after, waves a mile high swamped the African coast to the east and ravaged South America and the Caribbean to the west. Everyone on Earth knew at that moment something had happened.

Omegracon was now in direct contact with the Earth's core. His harpoon slowly absorbed the tremendous amounts of thermal energy, tapping the power at the Earth's heart. _Yes! I can feel the power of this planet....the energy is now mine...._

On Cybertron, Springer, the last of the Autobots, looked over the bright green and blue landscape from the heights of the Council Citadel. Cheetarus Prime and Silverbolt stood beside him, also looking over the beauty of Cybertron, wondering how the old transformer would take it.

"I can hardly believe it." said Springer, "It's....it's almost like Earth. So much green an-and blue. Hardly like the Cybertron I remember..."

"While you were on Earth, we Maximals were fighting against a new Megatron, one that was trying to take over the planet. And he would of succeeded....if it weren't for Optimus and the Oracle." Cheetarus explained, "They reformatted the planet, using the combined power of the Key to Vector Sigma, the Oracle, and the organic core...."

"Listen Prime," Springer politely butted in, "You can tell me about this _reformatting _later, and I can adjust to Cybertron's....new look....but there are other problems."

"Yeah....Earth." Silverbolt said, "Something's invaded it, and destroyed the Autobots...."

The Autobot turned down on the Maximals with fire in his eyes, yelling, "_Not just anything! Unicron! He's back and going to destroy it! Then....after that, he'll come and destroy...._"

Springer put his hand on his head, a metal migrane forming in his processor. Cheetarus came up and tried to calm him. "I know. It must be terrible to see a nighmare you thought was gone years ago....and realize we've gotta face it again."

To Be Continued.....


	2. Dark Moon Rising: Part 2

**Dark Moon Rising: Part 2**

by Bill T. Taylor - a.k.a. RedStreak

Botanica was now one with the matrix, and amid the throng of sparks from a billion lives past, she sought out the guidance of one transformer. "Optimus!" she called into the Matrix, "Optimus!"

"_Botanica....Botanica...._" the Matrix echoed.

She'd been doing this for what seemed like megacycles, calling out but only hearing the collective noise of the Matrix echoing back. She needed guidance from Optimus Primal, the only one who knew about this place, the only one she could truly understand.

"Please! We need help! What must I...._we _do....to save both Earth and Cybertron?" Botanica pleaded.

Out of the countless billions around her, one glowing spark came before Botanica. At first, it was blue, like every other spark, but Botanica sensed something different about this one....

The spark began to glow bright yellow. Immediately she remembered it - the same spark she encountered in her first vision! "Please....I need help. Can you help me find the wisdom I need?" she asked. The spark floated motionless for a moment, then, it approached her and merged with her own spark.

Botanica left the collective Matrix and entered yet another realm. All around her was a white void, empty space. "Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out. After waiting for what seemed an eternity, the yellow spark reappeared, lazily drifting toward her.

"_Botanica...._" it said.

"Optimus? Is that you?"

"_Yes and no. I am Optimus Primal....and I am not._" the spark said. The yellow spark divided, splitting into two sparks - one an icy blue, the other flaming red. Unanimously, the binary sparks spoke, "_We are both Optimus Primal and Megatron. We both share the same minds, the same spirits. We share the Oracle's power and the power of our own sparks._"

The sparks drifted behind her and merged again into the yellow spark. It once again transformed, this time into the Oracle itself, spinning before her. In it Botanica saw her own reflection, and the ghostly images of Optimus and Megatron in their original forms from the dawn of the Beast Wars. Botanica was startled to see them in such vastly different bodies than she was accustomed to; but in the Matrix, image was just an illusion.

"Optimus....Megatron," she said, trying to stomach the words, "I came here seeking guidance. We now know what the Matrix predicted has started to come true. Unicron....has returned...."

Then, in a strange little song, Optimus and Megatron sang,

"Different forms with a different face, still from the black of space."

"Has no beat of a heart, nor the drumming of a spark."

"Possesses no power of his own, but takes all that is thrown."

"Please!" Botanica cried out to them, "I don't understand! What must we do to vanquish him?"

"Fires of future, seeds of past, no weapons' fire can ever last...."

"No Matrix light in darkest hour, but in ally's heart lies the power...."

The last verse got through to Botanica. "Power? From a heart? Please, tell me more!"

The Matrix flashed before her eyes. In that instant, Botanica's vision ended. Cheetarus Prime and several others stood before the Oracle with her, waiting for something. Botanica opened her eyes, and for a brief moment she saw the Oracle's dazzling white light before it blinked out of existence.

"I've failed....again." Botanica said. She felt tired - whether it was her dampened spirits or the drain from the Oracle vision she wasn't sure of.

Cheetarus came up from behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Did you....see Optimus?", he asked.

She turned to give him a passing glance. "Yes, but what he said I couldn't understand. He...and Megatron...spoke in an odd gibberish. It was incomprehensive."

Cheetarus asked for more, but Botanica just strolled off, exhausted from an entire solar cycle of meditating for just this moment. Cheetarus was saddened to see her hard work seemingly go in vain.

He had other things at hand too. Silverbolt, Nightscream, and Black Arachnia were with him, waiting for his next command. Cheetarus hoped they wouldn't be as gloomy.

"Well, what should we do?" asked Nightscream.

"I dunno..." Cheetarus replied, "Botanica's visions are getting fuzzy....as are my own. I don't understand why Optimus won't come out and help us...."

Nightscream slapped Cheetarus in the face. He bruised the Prime's skin, much to Silverbolt's and Black Arachnia's surprise. Cheetarus looked at the bat and snarled, about ready to tackle him and rip him apart.

"Look Prime! You're doing what Optimus did! Getting too dependent on the Oracle!" the bat pointed out, "Whether or not Optimus' ghost is right, we can just sit here with thumbs clogging our exhaust ports! We've got to do something!"

Nightscream was actually right, no matter how much everyone wanted to deny it. Cheetarus agreed, and decided it was truly the time for action. To keep the populace calm, he put Nightscream in charge of planetary defense, with Silverbolt, Black Arachnia, and ThunderClaw for back-up. Prime, Botanica, RedStreak, and Rattrap were about to embark on an expedition....

Springer led the Maximals down the corridors and catacombs of Iacon beneath the base of New Cybertropolis. It was much darker down here, and a far cry from the beauty of the surface either. Here, everything was still very much metallic, save for a few roots reaching down from above.

The Autobot hacked his way through an outgrowth of stringy vines. "It's good to see the old town is still the same!" said Springer, swinging again.

"Yeah. Even with the power of the Oracle," Cheetarus said, pushing more roots out of the way, "The reformatting didn't affect all of Cybertron in the same way. Most of the subterranean cities are intact...."

The Autobot spotted an entrance behind a trunk. He raised his arm and struck into the technorganic plant. Botanica groaned angrily. "I wish you'd stop doing that! There are other ways to get around!"

Springer turned around and smiled. "Oh....really? Then would you be so kind to show the rest of us?"

Botanica walked up to the Autobot's side and looked at the massive root. Springer stepped aside, letting her "be his guest". The Maximal transformed to robot mode, then touched the root's surface. Then, in sporadic motions, the root removed itself from the soil, then literally rerooted itself several feet away.

The Autobot looked at the root and then down at Botanica. "You sure know your way around a garden, lady!" he applauded her.

"My whole's life been a garden....with its blossoms and weeds here and there," Botanica replied, switching back to beast mode, casually strolling past Springer on her roots.

Inside, they found exactly what they needed. Springer pulled down a power level, illuminating the room. A row of Autobot fighters lined the hall, a bit dusty but all in working condition.

"Let's just hope we have enough energon for all these..." said RedStreak.

A massive Maximal effort was underway, with the aid of Springer to boot, to excavate and unload the long-dormant array of vehicles. Springer offered all the technical schematics and repair skills he could offer, while Botanica attempted to integrate some of the spacecraft with technorganic systems. RedStreak and ThunderClaw refurbished and updated the weapons.

Within a solar cycle, the small fleet was prepped and launch was initiated. Two ships took the lead, aboard which were the leaders of the Maximal forces. In the _Axalon 2_ rode Botanica, Black Arachnia, RedStreak, as well as the lone Autobot. Against all advisement, Cheetarus Prime insisted upon coming, stating, "The honor of Cybertron is at risk. It would not be right for me to stay behind while others fight my cause." Silverbolt, Rattrap, and ThunderClaw would escort them to the edge of the Cybertronian system via the _Sky Lynx_.

As the rag-tag armada departed Cybertron, one other came as well. A non-Cybertronian, a human, went with the crew of the _Axalon 2_. Sprigner kept his optics on him at all times while the Maximals monitored the scanners.

A half-hour into the flight, RedStreak noticed the human huddled in a corner, all alone to himself. He left the controls, setting the ship for automatic pilot. RedStreak simply walked up to the human and stood next to him. The human's only reaction to his presence was a momentary glance.

"Hello," said the Maximal to the human, "Are you all right?"

"Fine...for the moment." replied the human.

RedStreak was beginning to get the impression that this one wasn't the social type. The Maximal sat down alongside him, leaning against the wall. The human scooted away by a foot or two, not desiring Maximal companionship.

"What is it?" RedStreak inquired.

The human finally looked up and said, "Will you leave me alone? I don't want to talk...."

"Hmm, if talking isn't your...how you humans say...expertise...then why does the Autobot constantly call you 'the diplomat?'"

"It's nothing....a program glitch as far as I'm concerned." said the young man, turning his head from RedStreak. The Maximal stared at him for a long time, his snout only twitching occasionally. Patiently he waited, until the human got tired of this. "Fine," he reluctantly replied, "Springer calls me 'the diplomat' 'cause I'm one of the grandchildren of a man named Spike."

RedStreak put his hand to his chin, trying to recall the name from old data-tracks. "Unless I'm mistaken....he's also the first human to bridge the gap between Cybertronians and Earthlings....but that was over four hundred years ago. How are you related to..."

"My mother was his great-great granddaughter. That makes me the fifth generation of 'diplomats' in his line." he told RedStreak.

"I also take it," the Maximal extrapolated, "It's not a line you'd prefer to be a part of. You know, diplomacy being a 'family thing' and all." Finally RedStreak succeeded in catching the human's ear. He asked him, "What is your name? I don't suppose Spike the Sixth now, is it?"

"Adam." the human told, "Simply Adam." Looking over the Maximal, Adam directly looked at RedStreak and said in a mocking tone, "And what are you supposed to be? The technicolored fur coat?"

RedStreak didn't understand the pun he made on his red, blue, and green coloration. "No....this is techno-_matter_," he pointed to his metallic body, "And my name's RedStreak. I....hope we can be friends...."

At the other end of the hall, Black Arachnia watched RedStreak and Adam slowly begin to know each other. "Hmm. Talk about a rough start to interstellar relations.", she said to herself. Looking at RedStreak, she was reminded of Silverbolt in his younger days, back in the Beast Wars. The obvious physical resemblance to his fuzor form were obvious: canid beast form, long ears in both forms, and even a snout in robot mode. The young Maximal also had an uncanny code of ethics reminiscent to Silverbolt's; valuing honor, life, and friendship above all else.

Oh....how I wish I could go back and be with Silverbolt back then, she playfully thought.

At the edge of the Cybertronian system, a transwarp conduit opened. A bluish flash of light appeared, out of which emerged a massive ship, closely followed by a countless swarm of drones. Dark like space itself, they silently crossed over on a course intercepting the Maximal fleet....

"Cheetarus Prime," Silverbolt called in, "This is the _Sky Lynx _reporting in. We're approaching the coordinates of the conduit that leads into the Earth system. Can your sensors verify?"

Black Arachnia and Botanica were at the controls to the sensor array, with Springer at the navigational console. Black Arachnia double-checked the sensor readings, then replied eagerly, "Roger that. We can see the conduit's location just a few kilometers ahead. We'll be adjusting our trajectory and transwarp signature to the proper settings." Looking into the communications screen, the spider made a big smile to Silverbolt, adding, "It will be a long cruise without you to accompany us...."

Silverbolt smiled and blushed in response. "Ahem...." Springer butted in, turning Black Arachnia's attentions away. "_Sky Lynx_," Springer addressed Silverbolt, "We'll be preparing for transwarp space once our engines are fully charged. You'll then rendezvous with us at the set coordinates in Earth orbit in one point eighty-five solar cycles. _Axalon _out..." The Autobot then flipped the switch to the com-link off, much to Black Arachnia's dismay.

At the other end of the line, Silverbolt was stunned by the communication being cut-off so soon. "I can't believe Cheetarus has sent my darling away from me on his....death mission. If I could only be with her in the final moment...."

"Oh get over it already." ThunderClaw groaned. The younger Maximal was growing tired of listening to his commander and his soul-mate play kissy-face over the com-link all day. "So she's not going with you. So what? You'll be with her in two days anyhow, just as the Autobot said...."

Silverbolt got out of his chair and pointed a talon into the panther-bot's face. "Don't you get it, son? It's likely I won't be seeing her at all....considering she and Prime are heading straight for Unicron himself! Don't you realize she'll be getting herself killed?"

Raising an eyebrow, the Maximal replied to him, "And if you go with her....you'll be more than happy to get blown away _with _her?"

ThunderClaw's commander was at his last thread with him. "Ugh! I swear I'll never understand you. If I didn't have more important things to do I'd demote you to civil forces...." Silverbolt swore.

"Heh, my dream." laughed ThunderClaw.

All that they had left to do was watch the _Axalon 2 _close in on the conduit gateway and power up its transwarp drive. It was an open and shut assignment as boring as a garbage scoul ride. ThunderClaw yawned in his chair, hoping for something to come along soon....

A red light went off on sensor controls. "What the?" ThunderClaw leaned over and glanced at the screen. On it he saw half a million blips coming forward in a big wave. "Holy father Primus!" he blurted out.

In moments, a swarm of drones came flying in, just as the _Axalon 2 _began to power engines. The swarm parted in two, half assaulting the fleet and the other half the _Axalon 2_. They came in swiftly, and with neither side prepared they began to take heavy damage.

Aboard the _Axalon 2_, circuits were frying as cables started coming loose, all while under a barrage of plasma blasts. The large Autobot fell from his equally-large seat with a loud clunk, Black Arachnia and Botanica following behind. The whole ship shook, the computer screens showing enemy signatures everywhere.

"What the slag is go'n on?" Black Arachnia shouted.

Botanica caught a glance out the central window, seeing a pair of drones sweep by. "We're under attack! We've got to power shields immediately!" she shouted.

"How? The engines are powering up, soaking up the capacitors. There's not enough power!" Springer grunted as he got up, only to be jolted by another round of enemy fire.

In less than four millicycles, a third of the Maximal fleet was taken out. The remaining fourteen ships, including the _Sky Lynx_, managed to power up their defenses before taking critical damage. Silverbolt gave the order to open fire, but there were at least a thousand times as many drones as there were ships, making it a futile effort.

The two Maximals aboard the _Sky Lynx _watched the _Axalon 2 _drifting helplessly in front of them, being hit by pot shots at a constant rate. "The _Axalon's _taking heavy damage to all systems, and their shields still aren't up!" ThunderClaw reported, "Oh man, they're not going to survive in that thing for much longer!"

Watching the neighboring ship being pummeled senselessly, Silverbolt took immediate action. He grabbed the auxiliary controls and powered up the thrusters. "Then we're going to have to rescue them!" he said to ThunderClaw.

Cheetarus Prime came to the main bridge, asking for a status report. Botanica and Black Arachnia said they were being blasted into slag by a million drones that came out of nowhere. There were no shields and no weapons available due to the transwarp drive, which wouldn't depower since the controls were frozen. "That's great! Our shields are off-line and our guns practically have quasar jams!" Cheetarus growled.

"The thrusters are still functional, despite all else!" Springer reported something good, "I'll try and steer us out of this firestorm!" Taking controls far too-large for Maximal hands, Springer pushed forward while turning. The _Axalon 2_'s thrusters responded, making the ship turn starboard.

"We've got to turn around and double-back to Cybertron! Open the com-link to the entire fleet!" ordered Cheetarus.

"But we've come this far, and Cybertron's too far for assistance!" Springer informed him.

"We've got no choice. None of us will last out her for a nano-cycle, not with this swarm around us!" the Prime spoke, "If we're lucky, Nightscream's reprogrammed the remaining defense platforms. They'll at least thin out the numbers of these pests while giving us a chance to...."

A huge explosion rocked the ship. "One of the transwarp engines has overloaded!" Botanica said, "If the others do the same, we're looking at a transwarp explosion in millicycles! They've got to be shut down, now!"

"Shut down? Lady," Sprigner struggled to say as he steadied the controls, "We can't even deactivate the slagging things!"

"Wait! If we power down the entire ship, the engines will be cold dead!" Black Arachnia suggested.

"Just great!" Springer exclaimed, "Either we blow up in a few moments in a futile attempt to escape, or we sit dead in the water while our enemies blow us away for us! Some choice! Well Prime, what now?"

Cheetarus stood on the bridge, unable to talk. "I....I....." he muttered mindlessly. _Slag! I can't make this kind of a choice! We're dead no matter what we do!_

"Prime! A little help here!" Springer groaned.

Above them, the structural supports began to moan as the _Axalon 2 _rapidly lost stability. Suddenly Adam came running in, shouting, "What's going on? Are we under attack?" Springer took his eyes off the controls and turned around in time to see Adam behind him. A support beam suddenly gave, plummeting towards the unsuspecting human below.

"NO!" the Autobot hollered, leaping out of his chair in slow-motion. His feet seemed like molasses as he tried to dash for the human, sluggish and clumsy. In those few milliseconds, the beams dropped closer and closer while Springer remained too far away. Adam looked up, seeing the support coming down on him too late. He raised his arms up while Springer made one final leap.

The beam came down with a thunderous bang, the Autobot sliding across the floor towards it. The navigational controls went haywire without Springer's guidance, starting the _Axalon 2 _on a spiral. Gasping, Botanica jumped into the seat, grasping the steering controls with her limbs. She held it, but only for a few moments. The wheel flung her off, sending her into a wall like a piece of spinach flicked from someone's teeth.

"The controls!" Cheetarus yelled.

Black Arachnia, in the midst of confusion and panic, took charge. She threw a web over the navigational controls, holding them in place. Leaping down from the console she yelled, "All right! We've got to get out of this hunk of scrap now! Springer! Use your internal radio to contact the fleet and pick us up! Botanica power down the systems and get RedStreak up here!"

"No! No!" the Autobot whimpered, digging through the heavy chunks of metal. He threw off panels and wires until he got to Adam's limp body. "Adam! Adam!" he cried to the human.

The human got up, moaning in pain. "I'm ok....except for my legs. I-I think they're broken...."

Quickly the Autobot tucked him away into his cockpit, keeping him safe. "Sprigner!" Black Arachnia reminded the Autobot of his duties, "The fleet! Now!"

The _Sky Lynx _hard docked with the _Axalon 2 _scarcely a minute later, just as the rest of the fleet began to pull out. ThunderClaw punched a hole through the wall and started pulling Maximals in. The Autobot took a lot of effort, but they managed to get him in as well. Silverbolt powered up propulsion and flew off from the disabled spacecraft, rejoining with the rest of the fleet.

For nine millicycles, the fleet was chased by the swarm relentlessly. Each ship fought off a hundred drones, shields failing and weapons depleted. Then, in a sudden moment, the drones left. Every member of the swarm halted and reversed direction, as if a superior mind directed them.

Cheetarus Prime, Springer, RedStreak, ThunderClaw, Botanica, Black Arachnia, and Silverbolt now occupied the same vessel. Though better prepared than the _Axalon 2_, the _Sky Lynx _was in pretty bad shape. Burn holes penetrated the titanium-beryllium hull nearly to the interior cabin, and even one of the wing thrusters had been taken out.

Rattrap analyzed the ship from bow to stern, and none looked too good. "Eh, this isn't good." he muttered, still wired into the computer, "Power's down to twenty-one percent, propulsion at half-capacity, stabilizers off-line....and even the electric cheese slicer I brought along is scrapped! No chance we're getting back to Cybertron, not in this wreak!"

Black Arachnia analyzed the reports coming in from other ships and their crews. "Not good. The other ships are in worse condition than us! A few are at half-power, but most have less than ten-percent. Even if we abandon half the ships and siphon out the energon, there won't be enough resources to return us home...."

Aside from their strategic loss, there were other problems. In another section of the _Sky Lynx_, Botanica, RedStreak, and Springer overlooked Adam. Botanica's hands massaged Adam's bruised back, trying to ease the pain as best she could. "It will be all right Adam. Your legs will be numb for a while....but everything's fine." she told him. Adam smiled at Botanica and thanked her for saving him.

As Adam drifted off to sleep, Botanica put a curtain around him so she could speak with Springer. "It isn't good," she began sorrowfully, "The support beam didn't crush his vital organs....but it managed to sever his spine from the pelvis-down. He won't be able to walk again, even with positronic implants and leg supports. That is....if his condition doesn't get worse...."

RedStreak and Springer looked at each other, then at the sleeping human. They knew there was nothing they could do, but they still wished there was something....

An hour later, one of the ships in the fleet picked up something. Black Arachnia verified it with the _Sky Lynx_'s long-range scanners. "A large asteroid, but something unusual about it," she told Cheetarus while still examining the day, "There appears to be something artificial about it...."

The fleet changed course for the asteroid. If nothing else, it would at least be a decent place to rest down on. As they got closer, Black Arachnia's examination proved it to be at least partially artificial, but native to Cybertron. "No mineral deposits or energon, but if I were to place a guess as to what it was," she declared, "A refueling station is what I'd wager."

"That'll be good for us. Any materials will be of use now...." Cheetarus said.

The asteroid came within visual range quickly, growing to enormous proportions. As it rotated beneath them, a large structure came into view. At first, a trident-like tower appeared, but beneath it was a rectangular, stone structure.....with a huge carving of the face of Optimus Prime jutting out!

Fifteen ships landed scarcely thirty meters from the strange monument, riding down on the fumes of their thrusters. Most Maximal crews remained with their vessels, conducting repair jobs as swiftly as possible. Cheetarus got out with everyone except Springer and Botanica, who were both looking after Adam.

The six Maximals ascended the steps below Optimus Prime's head, gazing at it with wonder. From the size of it, this monument, building, whatever it was, had been designed by Autobots presumably. There was Cybertronian text carved onto Optimus' forehead, left in plain sight for any visitors.

"Let's see if I can translate it," said Rattrap. He flipped down his visor and accessed a wealth of information. The text didn't match modern Cybertronian styles from the past two hundred years, and any further translations were scetchy at best. "I....I think it's written in Autobot style, tenth generation styling."

"Well tell us what it is, rat fink!" ThunderPaw growled.

"Well for those of us who don't have any patience," Rattrap murmured, "It reads: _Here lies the last resting place of the greatest transformers to possess the....name Prime. Though their sparks are....one....with the....Matrix.....here rests their old bodies_." Flipping his visor back over his head, Rattrap summarized, "Basically, I think it's a mausoleum for Autobots."

"Out here? In the middle of space?" asked Silverbolt.

"Wait....I think I know what this place is," Black Arachnia said, walking up to the faceplate, "When I read the Chronicles of Cybertron, the final resting place of Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime was known as 'The Temple of Primus.'"

"Then this must be it...." RedStreak said.

"Amazing...." Cheetarus whispered. He slowly walked up to the face of Optimus, looking up into his eyes. "This," he said, reaching a hand to touch the smooth stone, "Is where the greatest of the Autobots lie."

"Not the sparks, to say the least..." ThunderClaw brought up.

"No, of course not. Just the bodies....shells." Cheetarus agreed, "But nonetheless, it's incredible to think Optimus Prime is just lying inside here....in eternal rest."

Inside the command carrier, Obsidian and Strika looked down upon the Cybertronian asteroid. Their omnipotent sensors saw every square millimeter of it, spying upon both the temple and the fleet of Autobot fighters parked right in front.

"There it is," Obsidian said, eyes glowing dark red, "The old Temple of Primus, just as Omegracon said it would be. The Autobot Matrix must lie within...."

"There are also minor obstacles," Strika noted the Maximals, "Fifteen ships, forty-two Maximal signatures, plus one Autobot signature. A minor obstacle nonetheless...."

"So long as we accomplish the second task Omegracon has set before us." Obsidian stated.

On the asteroid's surface, a wide cloud of lights appeared in the sky. At first they appeared to be a small cluster of comets or possibly a luminous nebula, but the Maximals didn't think so once the blips appeared on their scanners.

In the _Sky Lynx_, a rain of plasma pounded against the hull. Botanica and Springer looked at one another, realizing the same thing. "The swarm's back!" They rushed to the bridge to get weapons operating. Adam continued to sleep in his cot.

Dozens of Maximals were caught under fire outside, many flat-out vaporized. Ships raised shields that didn't hold for long, and again they were under fire. One of the ships activated topside weaponry, firing lasers and missiles against the incoming drones. Entire rows of mindless machines were blasted into fragments, slowly turning the tide in the Maximals' favor.

"Oh yeah!" Springer cheered, "This kind of fun I love!" The Autobot retargeted the weapons on another drone, instantly shattering it. Another seven were fired in a single volley, ten more with only a pair of rockets. More kept coming and coming, but Springer ensured they'd have a very tough time. "I'll say it before and I'll say it again, I've got better things to do tonight than die!"

Outside the drones weren't acting as random as before in their attacks. As Cheetarus, Rattrap, and their fellows soon found out, they were distinctly headed for the temple. Many fired at the Temple of Primus, knocking off bits of stone, others colliding with the Optimus Prime's face.

"Ack!" Rattrap hollered, ducking as a drone roared in. It struck the faceplate of Optimus, leaving a gaping crater.

Cheetarus growled with rage. "Nobody desecrates a tomb and gets away with it!" He broke out his old blades, the ones now lined with razor-sharp barbs and spines. The Prime flung them into the air, letting loose a pair of spinning buzz saws that sliced through eleven drones before returning. Cheetarus Prime grabbed both without a scratch, smiling proudly to himself. "Even after thirty cycles, I've still got it...."

The others kicked in, Silverbolt with his feather grenades and Black Arachnia with her electrified webbing, but in the end it was for naught. The had to escape, for the drones were innumerable and relentless.

Out of the _Sky Lynx _ran Springer and Botanica with Adam in a space suit. Their weapons array had just blown out nano-clicks before, leaving them with no choice other than abandon ship. Upon seeing the wide crater left by a drone, Botanica suggested they take cover inside. Cheetarus protested....until he saw the large shadow of a star cruiser looming overhead.

"Uh....on second thought, Botanica, let's do it...." Cheetarus agreed.

They all dashed inside, save for Springer, RedStreak, as well as Black Arachnia. The Autobot declared, "I've never needed to hide before in my life, and I'm not about to start now. I'm the last of my breed and I want to make sure we go down fighting!" Springer jumped into the air, firing at the drones around him before transforming. In helicopter mode, he let loose all he had against the carrier above.

"Well that leaves the two of us!" Black Arachnia declared. She shot out another strand of glue-webbing, catching a drone. Swinging it like the end of a giant mace, Black Arachnia nailed a good twenty more drones, clearing the area. "Once we're inside, I'll set up an electric web to prevent any more from getting in!"

"Good idea! I just hope we'll weather this out long enough!" quoted RedStreak.

Suddenly, the commad carrier whipped out a set of fusion cannons, aiming them towards the fighters. Two blasts fired, wiping out three whole ships. More blasts were fired, destroying more ships and clearing a path for the drones. Then one of the cannons aimed toward the faceplate of Optimus Prime....

"Let's go!" RedStreak shouted. He and Black Arachnia ran for the hole in the faceplate. Another fusion cannon blast hit, shaking the ground. The both of them tripped, but Black Arachnia was the closest to the temple. She reached her hand to RedStreak, telling him to grab on so she could pull him in with her. The fox-bot reached out, just mere inches away.

The fusion cannon fired, sending a huge ball of hot plasma toward the temple. It hit the temple stairway, practically on top of RedStreak. Black Arachnia hollered as she was thrown into the temple, hitting the interior wall with a thud.

A few nano-clicks later, she was with Silverbolt, who dragged her inside. "No! Wait! RedStreak's still out there!" she told him. However, when she managed to steal a glance, all she saw was a smoking crater deep in the stairs. "No...."

Deep within the Temple of Primus, the Maximals were sheltered. Amid the rumbles of the barage of firepower, they saw the ornate beauty of the temple's interior. Pictograms of the Autobots and Decepticons were everywhere, portraying their battles on Cybertron and Earth for the countless centuries. On the rear wall, there was even a platform holding a stone sculpture of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.

Dominating the room were two giant slabs. On top of which was something spectacular. To the left was Optimus Prime, the greatest leader of the Autobots, with arms strewn over his broad chest. To the right rested Rodimus Prime, the first known Autobot to open the matrix, unleashing its power against Unicron himself. Both of these noble titans were rusted, covered by a light layer of dust over the years.

The Maximals huddled between the two bodies, cold and frightened. A mausoleum was even more frightening when it was caught in the middle of a war. Bombs echoed loudly, some shaking the dust from the rafters above. Botanica and Rattrap were hugging one another, fearing it would all be over too soon.

Then it stopped, all noise stopped. It was calm for the longest time. Then....there was an echo. Cheetarus Prime stood up. He heard it, a humming noise, accompanied by the clanking of metal, both growing louder and louder until it was a loud drum in their ears.

A wave of white-eyed drones were coming in through the main chambers, heading down the hallway towards them. At the last moment, Black Arachnia threw up a web, sealing off the entrance to the central tomb. Several drones bumped into it and shorted out, but the rest stepped back.

A large drone approached, one with bright red eyes and a noticeably larger pair of rockets on his back. It looked at the webbing for a microsecond, then extended a long sword-like blade from his hand. He sliced through the webbing in one stroke, causing it to split in two. Then it entered, followed by dozens more.

Black Arachnia and Silverbolt were the first to rise up in defense, ready to defend their comrades from all. The red-eyed drone gazed at them, then stuck its arms out at them. Bolts of yellow and green lightning flew from them, hitting not only Black Arachnia and Silverbolt but all the other Maximals.

"Fools," it muttered, "You're not even worth my time here...."

It turned to the other drones and nodded. Three drones approached the sculpture of the matrix quickly. Two tried to grab it from either side, but failed to remove it. The third stuck out its blades, slicing through the stone the sculpture was bolted to. The other two caught it immediately, shaking the dust off of it.

Beneath, the handles were pristine white and the empty, central bulge a dull orange. It wasn't just a model.....it was the _real _matrix!

"No!" Cheetarus begged, "The...matrix! Don't take it!"

The red-eyed drone laughed, decreeing, "The Autobot Matrix of Leadership is now in the possession of Omegracon....progeny of Unicron."

"WHAT?!" gasped Cheetarus Prime.

The drone intensified its electrical bolts, knocking the Maximals out. "I shall deal with you all soon enough...." Obsidian promised, leaving the temple along with all his drones.

Returning to Omegracon's command carrier, Obsidian brought before Strika the matrix. "Excellent," she said, "Now we have what we came to retrieve. Let us return to Omegracon and present it to him."

"No," said Obsidian, "_First_, we must destroy this temple, including the asteroid it's perched upon..."

"But...that's a waste of resources! Omegracon won't be pleased...." warned Strika.

"He shall be pleased to know we stopped _all_ that stood in our way. As his generals, we are obliged to conquer all, and as his weapons, we must destroy all that dare to oppose him. Let us....fulfill out duties....heh, heh...." chuckled Obsidian.

The former Vehicon continued to cackle as he reached for the lever controlling the fusion cannons, aiming precisely for the temple's central tomb....

To Be Continued.....


	3. Dark Moon Rising: Part 3

**Dark Moon Rising: Part 3**

by Bill T. Taylor - a.k.a. RedStreak

The command carrier of Strika and Obsidian hovered over the Temple of Primus with all weapons deployed. The two minions of Omegracon laughed as the temple crumbled piece by piece as they let loose the fury of their war vessel.

Fusion cannons penetrated the ceiling of the Autobot tomb, leaving huge holes ringed with plasma burns. Missiles flung themselves against its walls, causing the whole temple to quake in fear. Whole columns and chunks of stone toppled over, shattering even in the asteroid's weak gravity.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" screamed Rattrap.

A big black fist was flung into the rodent's face. "Will you knock it off already?" ThunderClaw snarled at him. The situation was already bad enough - they were already stuck together under a marble ledge for shelter, and the last thing any of the Maximals wanted was for vermin to start running around screaming dooms day.

Cheetarus Prime stood up, trying to raise hope. "Look guys, this _is _bad, but we've just got to stick together through this!" he stated, "The Matrix wouldn't lead us here just to perish mercilessly!"

A huge block of marble weighing a few tons came loose, smashing into the floor just a few feet away. ThunderClaw looked at Cheetarus, then said, "Speak for yourself!"

Botanica, hovering over Adam's paralyzed body, trying to keep him safe. "For once ThunderClaw's right! Even the Matrix couldn't save us now!"

"No! Have faith! The Matrix will always come to our aid!" the Prime yelled. Cheetarus then froze, his eyes beginning to glow white. Everyone was stunned as the light spread over Cheetarus' entire body, engulfing him whole.

Cheetarus Prime was on the other side of the Matrix, another vision overwhelming him. He saw the Oracle and flew directly into it, entering the domain of sparks. He was taken into an ancient portion of the Matrix, the realm of sparks long since past.

"_Cheetarus Prime...._" a strong voice boomed. An Autobot emblem flew past him, then materialized into a legendary figue. Optimus Prime, with spark pulsating visibly in his chest, stood before him.

"Prime...." Cheetarus muttered in awe.

From behind him, another spark flew out. It came before Optimus Prime, floating above his faceplate. "_Another spark rejoins the Matrix...._" the great Prime declared. In moments, Cheetarus watched the new spark turn bright blue-white, joining with Optimus Prime. When he reopened his eyes, Sprigner was standing next to his old leader, proud to be the last Autobot.

"_The last Autobot,_" said Prime in his electronic voice, "_Is one with the Matrix. We are all one with the Matrix._"

Springer bent down and looked upon Cheetarus Prime. "_Take care, Prime. Ensure the survival of our people. Keep the honor of Cybertron alive, now that you hold its destiny....let not our lineage die in memory...._" Springer's voice echoed.

"But how are we to survive?" asked Cheetarus, "Unicron is powerful....we're all about to be crushed as we speak!"

The two Autobots began to fade out of existence, their sparks the last to disappear. "_Do not grieve. The Matrix will reveal all in due time...._" Prime said, vanishing in a burst of light.

Cheetarus Prime reawakened, eyes still glowing brilliant white. "Prime! Thank goodness you're back! We need to get out of here!" Rattrap hollered. Cheetarus ignored the rodent, instead marching across the room as if under remote control. Rattrap and the others yelled for him to get back under the ledge, sure that he'd be crushed.

He looked up at an oblong slab in the wall. Raising a hand, Cheetarus spoke prophetically, "_The Matrix...will reveal all in due time..._" The edge of the stone began to glow. It opened, exposing a large switch hidden out of sight. Cheetarus approached and reached out to it. His hand grasped the handle, pulling down on it.

Outside, the craggy, missile-blasted face of Optimus Prime on the temple began to glow. The eyes lit up in a deep aquamarine, revealing the energy stored within the Temple of Primus. The ground around the temple rumbled, rocks being pushed away as something emerged from the ground. A triad of weapons platforms came forth from the gray sand, powering up and taking aim.

The temple weapons fired upon the carrier and the accompanying drones. The drones reciprocated, but their pitiful blasts bounced off the glimmering cannons. A thousand more were taken down until the command carrier fired with its fusion cannons, slagging all three of them.

One final defense still remained for the temple. The three-pronged tower, standing like a trident for three centuries, began to quiver like a tuning fork. Power conduits deep within the temple diverted all their stored energy into it, causing the tower to crackle with energy. At its climax, a thunderstorm was released, bolts of lightning jumping to every drone in a blaze of electricity.

Inside the command carrier, Obsidian and Strika were thrown about their control room like food in a blender. "Agh!" scowled Obsidian, grasping onto a sensor screen, "Omegracon never said anything about defense systems!"

Strika transformed to jeep mode and wheeled to Obsidian's side. Raising her neck to see the panel's readout, Strika saw what he pointed out. "That tower is creating a bi-polar energon storm! All systems are being attacked! We have no choice but to withdraw!"

Obsidian shouted, "No! We must destroy our enemies first...."

The entire room began to fill with ruby-red energy. Obsidian cried out in agony, falling to the floor. The voice of Omegracon sounded, commanding the Vehicon. "Obsidian, do not test my patience. You dare to put your own objectives before my own? Bring me....the matrix....now!" he bellowed.

"Yes....my master!" Obsidian submitted. With that, the mysterious red energy vanished, leaving Strika and Obsidian alive. They stared at each other, then at the controls. Immediately they began withdrawing drones and powering up propulsion....

The light faded from Cheetarus' eyes. He collapsed to his knees, feeling weak as a kitten. All the Maximals stood up and listened. The sounds of plasma fire were gone at long last....the hum of countless drones silent.

"Wo-hoo!" cheered Rattrap, "Whatever you did spots, it just saved our circuits!"

Cheetarus wasn't satisfied just yet. He ran out of the central room, to the entrance left courtesy of a falling drone. Beyond the crater-laiden steps of the Temple of Primus he oversaw the remains of a dozen destroyed ships and the burning remains of giant defense systems. In the sky, Cheetarus Prime also took notice of the enemy ship, retreating from them in a damaged state.

"Oh no you don't." said Cheetarus, "Nobody escapes a battle with me around!"

He made a dash for the _Sky Lynx_. It was still intact and just functional. He reached over and powered up communications. "Computer, open com-link to the _Axalon 2_, voice code Cheetor." he beckoned.

"Voice code accepted," it replied, "Com-link opening to _Axalon 2_."

A screen activated, showing a readout of the _Axalon 2 _and its systems. "_Axalon 2 _in power-down mode." the computer reported, "Weapons offline, shields offline, propulsion offline. Fuel core at sixty-percent power."

"Computer, divert all power to propulsion and reinitialize transwarp engines." Cheetarus ordered.

"Warning. Transwarp engines are in a state of overload. Reinitializing transwarp drive will result in a transwarp explosion." the computer warned.

"I know....and that's what I want." Cheetarus said, "Set the autopilot to steer towards sector data-five-nine-twelve. Upload instructions to _Axalon 2_."

The _Sky Lynx_'s central computer acknowledged his instructions, contacting the _Axalon 2 _as it sat adrift in space. In minutes it came back online, powering up all primary systems. Inside the _Axalon's _bridge, alarms activated. "Warning," a speaker stated, "Transwarp engines malfuctioning. Overload anticipated in eight point seven millicycles. T-minus eight millicycles and counting...."

At the Temple of Primus, the Maximals took shelter inside, patching up any places they could. "The area's secured and air-tight. We can start repressurizing the place any nano-click, shrubs." Rattrap said to Botanica.

With a flip of a switch, Botanica activated some life-support equiptment salvaged from a few wrecked fighters. In moments air began to flow in, a gust blowing past Botanica's leaves. Dust started to rise from the walls and drift around.

Black Arachnia took a breath, then gagged. "Ugh. It's good to breathe again, but the dust's clogging my throat!"

Cheetarus came rushing back in through a jurry-rigged airlock. "Maximals, we've gotta book this place." he addresed his crew.

"WHAT?" Rattrap blurted out, "But we just GOT this place up and running, even with a nice, comfortable atmosphere!"

"We have to. I just set the _Axalon 2_ to initialize a transwarp explosion in a few millicycles!" Cheetarus told them. Everyone around him froze. ThunderClaw's mouth dropped, as did the lead pipe he was carrying. Silverbolt was about to lay an egg.

"YOU DID _WHAT?!_" Black Arachnia shouted at the top of her lungs, "WHAT IN THE GALAXY WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Cheetarus grunted out, "I couldn't let those...._drones _just take the Autobot matrix with them, so I set the _Axalon 2 _to ram their ship just as its transwarp engines overload! Now we _have _to get out of here!"

Everyone started to get up....except for Botanica. Cheetarus Prime walked over and grabbed her arm, demanding she leave too, but she hissed at him. "I won't leave!" she firmly stated.

"Whatever for?" ThunderClaw inquired.

Botanica showed them the human, Adam, lying on the floor unconscious. "I can't leave him, and he can't be moved." she said, "His condition's gotten worse than paralysis. If he moves so much as a centimeter, his nervous system will die." Looking into Cheetarus' eyes, she further added, "I won't leave him. Too many have already sacrificed their lives already...I will not let this human go as well...."

Rattrap wheeled himself alongside. "If sprouts stays....then so do I." He went to Botanica and took her hand. "I'll admit to being a coward at times....but I'll never leave you...."

The others joined in as well, leaving Cheetarus Prime no choice. "Fine. We have no other choice. We'll have to weather it out here." he stated.

The command carrier with Strika and Obsidian was within striking distance of the transwarp conduit. Strika gave the command to initiate transwarp drive. Deep within the carrier, generators hummed with life, providing the gigawatts of energy required for transwarp space. At the rear of the ship, a violet glow was produced by the main engines as they prepared for transwarp.

The _Axalon 2 _cruised closer and closer to the enormous carrier, running its propulsion systems at full capacity. Within the empty bridge, the computer continued its final program sequence as system warnings went off. A flashing console displayed the transwarp engines, white-hot and ready to blow.

"Warning..." the computer's voice echoed, "T-minus twenty nano-clicks and counting until transwarp engine overload. T-minus fifteen nano-clicks and counting...."

It was not until the last few nano-clicks did the Vehicons' sensors go off, detecting the enormous energy surge coming from their port side. Obsidian ordered the weapons online, but they were too sluggish to respond to a target at close range. Fusion cannons overshot the _Axalon 2 _by parcecs, the doomed ship still diving in.

"Warning...T-minus ten nano-clicks until tranwarp engine overload. T-minus nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two...."

In the next instant, the _Axalon 2 _became a white ball of plasma flying out. A polar ring of transwarp energy surged outwards, enveloping the near-by command carrier in an instant.

"Transwarp explosion!" shouted Strika as the carrier began to overload, "It's coming for us!"

Obsidian kept an eye on the carrier's transwarp engines, hoping they could make the jump soon enough. "The transwarp radiation is interfering with out propulsion! It's creating a singularity!"

The carrier began to glow white with electricity leaping from it. A black sphere grew around its core, swallowing the entire ship. The circular transwarp wave around them began to slow, then completely stop. Gradually, the wave reversed course, heading _inwards_, toward the black hole.

The Temple of Primus felt the blast, but it was weirder than expected. The transwarp wave didn't annihilate them....but didn't come altogether. Then something else began to happen. The asteroid began to move in the direction of the carrier, slowly at first but gaining speed as it neared.

Rattrap and Cheetarus went outside and saw what they feared: a gigantic ball of black ink growing larger and larger until it filled the sky - a black hole dragging them in.

"Oh man....when it rains meteors, it pours!" Rattrap quoted, moaning wearily.

Like a magnet the singularity pulled the asteroid in until it reached its event horizon - the final barrier between reality and the bottomless pit of the singularity. Like magic, the asteroid was stretched and disorted until at long last....it vanished.

At the opposite end of the transwarp conduit, roughly a few million kilometers from the Earth, a blazing fireball emerged from nowhere, spewing forth raw energy in all its forms. Then, just before collapsing, two dark shadows emerged, cast out from the glowing mass.

Nano-clicks later, the command carrier of the Vehicons started to spiral. Just before entering the wormhole, the transwarp explosion cut into the hull, leaving a gaping wound that was unmendable. Sparks and shards of scrap metal were spit out of it irregularly, like blood from a gash.

"Reroute all power to thrusters." Obsidian ordered, "We must return to Omegracon with our prize...."

A few hundred kilometers away, just out of range of the Vehicon command carrier, the asteroid with the Temple of Primus drifted powerlessly. Surprisingly, despite all it went through in the last millicycle, not so much as a scratch was received to its surface.

Rattrap lifted up his head, seeing that he...and everyone else, was still alive. "Heh. I ain't dead...." the rodent chuckled.

Beneath him, ThunderClaw groaned with the weight of a tire on his chest. "This day's just so very dissapointing...."

All the Maximals got up to investigate what had happened, and where they were presently heading. Leaving the safety of the temple, all the male transformers left via the airlock. Black Arachnia remained to watch over Botanica and Adam...just in case any more drones decided to show up.

Outside, the view was magnificent, aside from the blast zone on the surface. Amid the billions of stars surrounding them, one shined the brightest tint of yellow imagineable. Were Botanica outside, she'd be overwhelmed by its radiant light. There were many bright planets visible, like Venus, Mars, and even Saturn.

In the center of it all was the most beautiful planet in all the universe, foresay Cybertron: the planet Earth. The home world of humanity was a thick cresent beside its solitary gray moon, with vast blue oceans underlying thick, swirling clouds of white.

"Magnificent...." spoke Cheetarus, marveled at this sight.

"Yeah, real nice and all," ThunderClaw sharply said, "But where's this _Unicron_ everyone's been taking about recently? I don't any giant, planet-munching transformer around...."

Then, as the Earth rotated, a mass of blue-silver metal was unveiled, hovering above the seemingly serene Earth. It was hidden from view by the Earth's natural moon, orbiting further out. Long cables stretched down from it to the world beneath, and a emerald ring circled the planetary behemoth.

"By the Matrix..." Silverbolt said, "You were right Cheetarus, as was Botanica and Springer. It's...Unicron...."

Even ThunderClaw was overwhelmed. "It's...he's...huge! I can hardly believe such a thing exists!"

"Unicron all right...in the tritanium armor...." said Cheetarus.

Rattrap had his doubts still. "Eh...I don't know Prime," he said to Cheetarus, "He doesn't look quite the same. I'm not really sure it is Unicron..."

"Really?" jeered ThunderClaw, "And how would you know it's him? THE BOT'S BEEN DEAD FOR NEARLY FOUR HUNDRED YEARS! AND WHO ELSE DO YOU KNOW THAT'S AS BIG AS A PLANET?!"

"That's just it," Rattrap said to him, "He looks smaller...." Activating his visor, Rattrap scanned the planetoid at maximum range. Schematics popped up, as well as diagrams of various planets. "This guy doesn't measure up. The original Unicron was nearly _twice _the size of Cybertron and Earth. This particular incarnation of him is less than a third the diameter of the Earth."

"What are you getting at Rattrap?" Silverbolt asked.

"What I'll getting at," the rodent said, visor still scanning, "Is that this _isn't _Unicron. The size, configuration, _plus _the transmetal armor coating his surface aren't the same characteristics of the real Unicron! We're dealing with something new here...."

Cheetarus looked at the dark moon over Earth's surface. He began to recall something he heard earlier, something that....strange drone said. "Omegracon...."

Everyone looked at him. Cheetarus didn't realize he spoke it aloud. "Omegracon?" they asked unanimously. "Yes...that's it." Cheetarus finally realized, "He's not Unicron, but the _progeny _of Unicron!"

"Progeny? You mean....children?" ThunderClaw said.

Rattrap moaned, "Oh man! I hope there aren't anymore like him! One's bad enough as it is!"

While the Temple of Primus drew closer to Earth with each passing millicycle, Omegracon occupied his attentions elsewhere. Obsidian and Strika returned in terrible shape, but not empty-handed.

Inside the dark chambers of Omegracon, Obsidian raised the wide Autobot device into the air. Omegracon was very pleased. Focusing a tractor beam upon the matrix, he took it from Obsidian and hoisted it high above.

"Excellent, my minions." Omegracon said, his voice echoing from all around, "I now have the matrix in my possession, the very weapon that destroyed Unicron. Even this will be useless against me..."

Obsidian looked upwards at the source of the tractor beam. "But...master, if the matrix was emptied centuries ago," Obsidian informed his omnipresent lord, "Why did you bother to have us take it? Surely it is of no use...."

"The Autobot matrix," Omegracon droned, "Is more than a weapon, it is a link to the transformer Matrix....a link to ever transformer that ever existed for all eternity. In addition to preventing it from falling into my enemies' hands again, this device shall allow me to access the Matrix, to plunder untold powers beyond any mortal comprehension."

As the Autobot matrix of Leadership spun in the tractor beam, Omegracon yelled exuberantly, "_I shall possess the same powers that destroyed my father centuries ago! With this, I shall truly become the most powerful being in the whole universe!_"

At the Temple of Primus, another problem soon arose. Rattrap, upon analyzing the asteroid's trajectory, realized they'd be passing within Omegracon's firing range in twelve millicycles. They'd have to abandon the temple, which in turn meant that Adam had to be forcefuly removed, risking further damage to his crippled body.

"Then we have no choice." Cheetarus said, "We've got to attack Omegracon with what we've got! If nothing else, it will distract him from the temple, letting the asteroid and the temple to slip by."

"Oh boy...this day just seems to keep getting more and more suicidal." Rattrap moaned.

The _Sky Lynx _was readied for flight once more, as were seven other fighters. Cheetarus, not wishing to waste another spark, suggested they fly them by remote, leaving the fighters aboard the _Sky Lynx_. It was a viable plan, and using salvageable parts from the ruined fighters, Rattrap, Silverbolt, and Black Arachnia cobbled together a VR control system.

"Just slip the helmet on and you're interfaced with the ship!" Rattrap explained the basics.

With scarcely two millicycles to go, all eight fighters lifted off from the Temple of Primus. Only Botanica remained behind to attend to Adam. With an array of scanners from eight spacecraft linked together, Rattrap scanned the target's surface with incredible precision. Guns, laser turrets, and plasma cannons in the hundreds were being trained upon them as they came within range.

"It looks like the big guy knows we're coming, and it looks like he means business." Rattrap told his comrades.

Within the deepest recesses of Omegracon's mantle, Strika and Obsidian observed the oncoming fleet of fighters coming in at top speed. "Shouldn't we be the ones to halt their progress?" Strika asked her master.

"No, Strika." answered Omegracon, "My enemies know of your capabilities, and know that even your supreme military mind has a weakness. It is time they know of _my _capabilities, and know that I am invulnerable...."

Ten thousand energy weapons fired upon the Maximals all at once. The eight ships raised shields, deflecting the first volley. More and more shots were taken, draining the Maximal defenses in mere seconds. Finally one ship gave in, its shields failing and at once was blasted into a hundred million pieces. Now seven ships zoomed in.

"Oh man! I just lost mine!" Rattrap exclaimed, "And not even a single punch to the planet!"

"Just be ready to shove some hot plasma right into Omegracon's exhaust port!" cheered ThunderClaw.

They enter a metallic canyon where they met some potent firepower. Another ship, just to the starboard of the _Sky Lynx_, went down, colliding with a minor generator. The Maximals immediately opened fire, targeting multiple fusion reactors near key defenses. Hardly a dent was made, but once their weapons penetrated the transmetal armor a huge explosion went up, taking a full dozen reactors with it.

"Oh yeah!" everyone cheered.

Cheetarus was joyful, but then he noticed the defenses hadn't been affected at all. The laser turrets turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees and started firing all over again. It were as if their power source hadn't been severed at all!

"Great firey buckets of slag!" Silverbolt cursed, "They must have a dozen back up sources!"

In mere nano-clicks, the turrets fired, penetrating the shields and blasting the fighters from behind. Two more were sent to firey deaths, violently crashing into the canyon walls. The hits were so insignifigant that Omegracon didn't feel anything at all.

"Slag it! They're hitting us from behind! Our shields won't hold there!" Black Arachnia yelled. Four ships soon became three, and then two.

"We've got no options left, floor it!" Cheetarus ordered Silverbolt. At the Prime's command, Silverbolt took the _Sky Lynx _into the air and away from Omegracon's surface. The surviving remote-operated ship was blasted a hundred kilometers up, leaving only the _Sky Lynx _for target practice.

Upon seeing the smoldering remains of the spacecraft behind them, Rattrap muttered, "Oh boy....we're as good as dead against a death planet like that!"

"Keep recalibrating the shields! That might give us a better chance to survive!" suggested Cheetarus. Immediately Rattrap went at it, plugging into the shield harmonics. Silverbolt began swinging in a zig-zag motion, trying to fool the cannons blasting at them.

A single blast managed to penetrate the shields, bouncing off the _Sky Lynx_. A second hit one of the secondary engines. Black Arachnia assisted Rattrap with the shields, diverting all power from non-essential systems.

Omegracon watched as the diminuitive craft sped away like gnat after being swatted at. _Now, in their moment of escape, to obliterate them._ Omegracon focused himself on the approaching asteroid where the Maximals were hiding. All his weapons responded, focusing on it. Energy coursed through his systems, power surging to its apex....

Just as the _Sky Lynx _landed, the Maximals watched as a humungous fire ball was flung at them, soaring towards them at phenomenal speeds. The asteroid was shattered into over a dozen pieces, all breaking apart further.

Gazing out the window at the temple, Rattrap thought _Botanica! _and rushed out. Cheetarus Prime yelled, "Everyone, stay together! It's our only chance for...." The rodent ignored him, flying out the airlock as fast as his tires could spin. Upon hitting the first step, Rattrap was flung into the air. He somersaulted, transforming into his rodent beast mode, landing on all fours inside the entrance.

Rattrap ran to Botanica, who was still sitting next to Adam. "Shrubs! This rock's busting apart! We've gotta book it!" he yelled to her.

Botanica tried to say, "But Adam's still injured! He can't be...." The rodent transformed yet again, snatching up both his love and her ward. The human was very limp as he hung over his shoulder, virtually lifeless.

"Sorry shrubs, but if we stay here more than a millicycle, this temple's gonna come crumbling down on us all!" The bold Maximal crashed through the airlock just seconds before the central tomb caved in. Like a house of cards, the temple fell all around them. Rattrap forced his accelertors harder and harder, seeing the entrance coming up.

In the final moment before the fall of the Temple of Primus, Rattrap burst through, carrying both Botanica and Adam with him. As the temple collapsed upon itself, tremors started throughout the asteroid. A giant crack formed between Rattrap's legs, spreading towards the _Sky Lynx_.

"Hand on guys!" he said, making a final dash. The ground quaked below, the asteroid itself crumbling to bits as they neared the Earth's outer atmosphere. Silverbolt leaned out of the _Sky Lynx _with arm extended.

"Jump Rattrap!", he shouted.

With every last ounce of strength, Rattrap did just that. The ground gave way, exposing the planet Earth beneath. As Silverbolt closed the door behind them, the last portion of the asteroid burnt away, leaving the _Sky Lynx _to plummet downwards.

Silverbolt returned to the controls, only to find them jammed. "Ugh!" he groaned, pulling on the steering controls, "It....won't....budge!"

The _Sky Lynx_'s angle was far too steep. If the ship didn't fire up its engines and steer, they'd all go up in flames instantaneously. Silverbolt tried hard, but the controls were like fixed iron bars. Black Arachnia came to his aid, pulling on the controls with him. It didn't work.

"Everyone! We've got to do this together!" shouted Cheetarus Prime. Every Maximal aboard the ship from Cheetarus to Rattrap to ThunderClaw joined in, one final group effort to save their lives. The wheel groaned against their collective strength.

Just as the _Sky Lynx_ was in peril, the controls responded at long last. The ship dipped down, letting the heated air pass over its aerodynamic hull. Lift returned to the _Sky Lynx_, permitting it to fly in. Zooming in at mach four, the _Sky Lynx _sailed over the face of the Earth, Maximals rejoicing inside.

"We're alive! Alive!" Rattrap merrily rejoiced.

In the midst of the jumulance of surviving another megacycle, Botanica appeared from the rear of the ship. There was a sullen look to her eyes. It didn't take more than a nano-click for Rattrap to figure out why.

"Well...most of us...." he softly muttered.

"Adam's taken a turn for the worse," Botanica said, trying to keep her voice steady, "He's dying...."

To Be Continued.....


End file.
